Since You've Been Gone....

I guess he's only been gone a total of 16.3 minutes, but I realize it's only the beginning of a looooong two months. Shawn is headed to a big city Southwest of here for an out rotation. There aren't many pediatric anesthesia cases here at our hospital so Shawn needs some experience at a larger hospital. It will be a good change for him as far as anesthesia goes, but as far as family life it's not the ideal situation. I feel like I'm more equipped now than ever before to handle all the kids and daily life alone. He's gone a lot so I'm used to the independence. However, it's nice to hear his breathing as he sleeps at night, or to have a brief conversation while he gets ready in the morning. The kids will really miss the wrestle-time. I'll be glad when May is over and I can once again anticipate the garage door opening and see him walk through the door.

Bowl-A-Rama.....

Our little family set a goal at the end of February with the plan that if it was accomplished we would all go bowling and get ice cream after. Friday night the reward came to fruition. Thank goodness for the recent "smoke free" zone public places have become in this little community, or bowling would never have been an option. The alley still had the stale scent of yuck due to years of filling up with the nicotine habit, but it wasn't unbearable. The kids had never been bowling before with the exception of Ethan. If you count the Wii then they've all attempted, but it's quite different when computer generated. We all donned the beautiful shoes, Landon included. (His feet were adorable in them.) With the bumpers up, we were ready to bowl. Landon used the metal thing you roll your ball down (don't know the proper name) and he actually was smoking us all through the 1st half of the game. Every time he'd hit some pins he'd clap his hands and do this little gallopy-hoppy thing while saying "I knocked the pins! I knocked the pins!" It was worth the entire experience just to witness his excitement. Jack bowled granny style after he realized putting his fingers in the holes just wasn't productive for him. His ball often rolled so slowly down the lane that by the time it reached the pins the guard was dropping to sweep them away. Apparently there is a 1 1/2 minute time limit for balls to get down the lane. Kennedy bowled two spares all on her own. She rocked the bowling world. Ethan didn't do too bad either. Shawn and I realized that when you don't bowl for 5 years your score doesn't improve. What a great family outing. I just wish I'd remembered my camera to document the excursion. I'm sure there will be a next time, and I'm sure we'll enjoy it just as much as we did this time.

The Shopping Experience....

Since we've lived in Missouri, I've discovered that people from this area aren't really into the whole "buy a new Easter dress" phenomenon that has swept the nation. I've kind of quit myself. It just doesn't seem to be a big deal anymore. This year, however, I heard they were having a 50% off sale on girls dresses at a local chain. I figured maybe me and Kennedy should check it out. I took her with me. I don't know why I did. Maybe it was for the bonding, or something crazy like that. I knew she had interesting taste and rarely seems to like what I choose. For some reason those things slipped my mind and we made the trip together. There were 5 dresses on the rack. 4 of them were pastels, sleeveless, and something you would consider an actual Easter dress. Of course, the 5th dress is the one Kennedy really fell in love with. I took one of each into the dressing room with us convinced she'd fall in love with one of the others. The thing about 6 year old girls is that nothing ever looks bad on them. She was adorable in every single one. But the look on her face, and the way she twirled in the one she chose, how in the world was I going to deny this beauty this particular dress? There was no convincing her not to buy the black & white polka dot number, but she admitted to loving the others too. She suggested we just buy 2. Fat chance girly. The 50% off sale would have been a moot point had we purchased 2. Being the wonderful mother I am, and one that is truly learning that clothing is one battle not worth fighting, I relented and bought her the polyester polka dots. I even purchased a new white tee and some pink flip-flops to complete the ensemble. The plus side? Polyester is wash and wear. And she actually looked adorable.

The Big Hunt.....

This year Easter fell in March. I am not a fan of early Easter. Apparently it shouldn't be this early again for another 100 years or so, and I'm grateful. I like to associate Easter with the rebirth that spring brings......flowers, green grass, rain, and warmer temperatures. Because it was in March, and March is unpredictable, my kids hunted for eggs in heavy winter coats and gloves. Thankfully we were without snow so we didn't need boots. There was just something odd about hunting in mittens. My kids didn't seem to mind and gathered their goods at record speed forgetting about any plummeting temperatures.

The kids each filled their baskets in their own unique way. Ethan took off by himself and since they were allotted only 10 eggs due to numbers, he chose to hunt slowly and find the "decorative" eggs. He was pretty successful. Kennedy followed me for awhile but realized she could find better eggs if we parted ways. Jack and Landon picked up whatever they saw. Before Landon would pick an egg up he'd say "there's another egg!". I heard this 10 times, once per egg. I wonder if he thought he discovered something nobody else had.

They posed for me, then bartered with each other for the "big" egg. It was in Landon's basket and since he was none the wiser, he was duped into trading for a "tiny" egg. I'm sure one day he'll figure it out.

When we entered our warm house, coats and gloves were shed and the true finding began. All the eggs were open within minutes, and the trading started. Lucky for me, they all headed downstairs leaving me upstairs to bask in the quietness. Nothing like a bucket full of candy to make the fighting cease.

The Healer Within....

In this small medical community the medical school sponsors an exhibit called "The Healer Within". It's just a small traveling exhibit that explains how different parts of the body work. It's quite interactive and I think it teaches the kids some cool information. We headed over on Saturday and lucky for us Shawn was able to stay the entire time without getting called in.

Kennedy and Landon learning about the heart.

Ethan testing his grip strength.

Landon testing his balancing skills on a moving skateboard.

Kennedy would have stayed on the skateboard all afternoon if we'd have let her.

No photos of Jack. Due to his obsession with the workings of the body he was all over the place and not in one place long enough for a photo op.

Pinewood Derby.....

This is our very first experience with the annual pinewood derby held by the scouts. Well, the first for Ethan. Shawn has been doing this since he was a boy. After witnessing the planning, making, and racing of the car, I've come to the conclusion that this activity is made for the men. There was many a night when Shawn was alone in the room greasing up the wheels with Ethan no where in sight. Ethan watched as Shawn painted the racing stripes along the back and sides. I do have to say that it was one fancy car. Ethan chose the design online and called it "The Missile".

Because Shawn is one of the leaders, he was in charge of sending the cars down the ramp. Anyone that knows Shawn understands his lack of facial expressions. He's pretty hard to read seeing that he has the same look on his face whether he is at a funeral or Disneyland. However, I've been around him long enough to see how he feels in his eyes. I watched him close as Ethan's car continued to place first in each heat. I could tell that he wanted to scream "wahoo" at the top of his lungs while throwing happy punches into the air. I captured a rare glimpse into his feelings with the camera. If you notice his slight smile and the way he's holding his hands you should be able to tell his inner-child was whooping it up.

I was proud of his composure as Ethan won 1st place over-all. Ethan won a plaque and a box of twix candy bars. When we arrived at home Ethan handed Shawn half the box of candy bars and said, "You did most of the work dad, so you deserve this prize." Shawn spent the next 30 minutes trying to explain to Ethan how much work he actually had helped with. Good work Shawn. I mean Ethan. Well done, well done.

MY Sanctuary......

When I was younger my family moved about every 5 years. We left Idaho when I was 7 and moved to Western Washington. When I was 11 we headed down to Southern California. Then when I was 16 we headed back up north to Central Washington. I actually stayed in close contact with the friends I'd made in W. Washington, so when we moved only 4 hours away, I'd often drive the distance to visit them. I remember the summer after I'd graduated high school me and my friend Misty headed in that direction to get out of town. We were planning on staying with one friend in particular. As we pulled in the driveway we noticed about 10 cars parked in the cul-de-sac. We discovered her parents were out of town so this was to be the weekend hang out. We were all good kids so it wasn't one of "those" parties. Just a bunch of kids with free reign of a home. We hung out in the hot tub, played games, and ate a lot of junk. On Saturday evening a huge water fight broke out in the kitchen between the girl that lived there and about 5 boys. Me & Misty ended up on the front lawn watching it all go down. Pretty soon the parents pulled up. They were home early for reasons unknown. We had a clear shot of the kitchen windows, so we watched the whole thing unravel. The reaction from the Mom is the one that surprised me. She didn't yell and scream for everyone to go home, or send anyone out of the house. She started to cry. Then she started grabbing towels and cried while mopping up the wet mess left by teenagers having a little fun. Misty and I left shortly thereafter. I have always wondered about this reaction from this Mom. Why the tears? Now I'm the mother of 4. Nobody needs to explain to me now why she had this reaction to a kitchen full of water. I too have cried over my kitchen. My house is my sanctuary. Sure, kids will be kids, but I still don't like to see my new leather ottomans tipped upside down and jumped on like trampolines. I don't like when Landon uses the water and ice on the fridge to make rivers run through the tile grout. I don't like it when Jack pees all over the back of the toilet seat because it makes a cool splash. And I really don't like it when the kids use crayon or marker to color the carpeted stairs. I've already had to leave the computer twice in the few minutes I've been blogging. Once because Jack tipped the La-z-boy over and was catapulting his body off it onto Ethan, and once because Kennedy used a light saber to knock over my Jesus picture which fell behind the entertainment center and scratched the wall on it's way down. I now understand the tears in the kitchen while silently mopping the sopping wet floor. One day maybe my own kids will understand what it means to take care of the home in which they live.

Random Happenings.....

Today I took the kids to see "Horton Hears a Who". It was Landon's 1st movie in the theater. I've taken 2 year old children to movies before, and vowed never to do it again, but I thought he'd be the one kid that could handle it. He kept saying really loud "That is a really, really big elephant Mom". He also kept asking questions throughout the whole thing. Not questions that had to do with the movie, but things like "What is that fruit snack mom?", or "Can I hold the cup Mom?". At one point after too much soda he declared that his belly hurt and he needed to go poop. He doesn't have a quiet voice either. I stood in the back with him until he did his business, changed him, and we were able to finish the show. I have to say that it was the easiest trip to the movies with a 2 year old that I've experienced up to this point. He might even be able to attend the next movie we venture too. Great job kiddo.

Since it's been girl scout cookie season, this has been one of my bedtime snacks as of late.

Who doesn't like a few thin mints with a tall glass of skim milk? A little piece of Heaven.

Because of the time change my kids have been fighting bedtime. They used to be in bed by 8, and after numerous trips for drinks or whatever, they are asleep by 8:30. Lately I've found them wandering around as late as 9:30. When Shawn is home he locks us in our bedroom regardless of what child is pounding on the door. I prefer to threaten rather than lock them out. Landon has been a real stinker and just doesn't want to be in bed so he cries knowing that I have no sympathy. Kennedy takes pity on him. Since they share a room she offers for him to climb into bed with her so she can read him a few stories. Nice girl. Every night this week she's come in to tell me that he needs to be moved out of her bed. After 2 pages he's zonked. This was too cute not to document. He doesn't even flinch when I pick him up.

Shawn's gift.....

Shawn's birthday present finally arrived. He's been saving for this baby since November. Every extra bonus he received went into his "Bose" fund. I finally relented when he was a few dollars short because it was his birthday. He informed me that this is the Bose Wave-Radio II, not to be confused with the first generation. He also ordered the ipod attachment so he could listen to his own selection of tunes. He claims that this will be the reason he starts lifting weights again. Hmmm. I'll believe it when I see it. However, it does have a sweet sound. Shawn claims he can hear notes and sounds on this baby that he didn't even know existed in some of these songs. I think he's just over-excited about his new toy. The kids enjoyed the tunes too.

Spring Break....

My kids are on spring break this week. Who in the world calls the 2nd week of March spring break??!! Well, lucky for me today was a rare 65 degrees outside. (I won't mention that it's supposed to snow again on Friday). We enjoyed the warmth by hitting "happy hour" at Sonic Drive-in for 1/2 off slushes and drank them at the park. Glorious. We stayed for 2 hours. Then we headed home to ride bikes in the neighborhood. I couldn't stop laughing at my children's antics when we arrived home. Landon was saying the funniest things. He grabbed a basketball and ran onto the driveway saying "I shoot it in the hoop! I shoot it in the hoop! Oh, no hoop. I shoot it in the sky?" He then threw it a foot in the air. He said, "Oh, I throw it on the roof?" Didn't make it any higher that time. He finally just laid it on the ground and said, "I just kick it then." And ran off kicking it like a soccer ball. Hilarious little boy. Probably funnier in person. Jack, of course, found his own sort of entertainment. At the park he'd gathered a rock collection and brought it home to our yard. He found a big rock and was calling it his "detector". He told me that if he held it in one place on the driveway and looked into it he could "detect" China people. I inquired as to how and he said it was because he could see all the way to the other side of the Earth with it. Duh. China people live on the other side of the Earth. He told me the hot magma was pretty tricky to see through, but he could do it anyway. Jack. What a character. Kennedy was wearing a new light pink sundress with brand new leggings to match. Her choice of play? Filling cups of water and dumping them into the dirt in the neighbors ditch to make mud pies. I was blessed with a girl that likes to dress girly and play like a boy. Ethan played various things---a little baseball, a short bike ride, a little Frisbee, a little soccer, and then claimed he was bored without a basketball hoop and went in early. The conversation I had with him later, however, is what sticks in my mind. We were tossing a soft-soccer ball back and forth to each other while sitting on opposite couches.
Ethan: Dad is way strong. He is way tougher than you.
Me: No way. I'm tough. I can make Dad cry.
Ethan: Making him cry emotionally doesn't count. I mean physically.
Me: Emotionally? Ethan, how do you even know the difference or what that even means.
Ethan: Mom, I have emotions too you know.
I'm a little worried that he's one day going to surpass me in knowledge and totally stump me with how to handle him. Maybe that's already happened.

Stood Up.....

Last night there was a free babysitting opportunity. Yep, I said free. Our local University has a Campus Christian Fellowship group that volunteers on a monthly basis to babysit the local children as a service. Of course, donations are always welcome. My kids love to attend these events because they get to run free in a large gymnasium, do some sort of craft, and have some sort of popcorn/candy snack while viewing a movie. I love these events because it means a free night out with Shawn. Well, except for last night. I'd been looking forward to this all week. I did keep in the back of my mind that he was on call and there was a possibility I would be solo, but I've done it before. Last night when it was 3:30 and he showed up at home I was ecstatic that we would be able to eat a dinner out on the town together. Until he mentioned the pinewood derby car sitting on the counter. And that Dr. Roof's wood shop would be at his disposal for him and Ethan to use that very evening. Obviously the pinewood derby is more important than a date with me. I conjured up a plan to drop the little boys off at the babysitting and take Kennedy to dinner with me and to do a little shopping. She thought it sounded fun. I was once again excited for an evening out. Until we pulled into the parking lot of the University. Kennedy said she decided she'd rather play in the gym because she "can go on a date with you anytime, right mom?". Not only was I stood up by my husband, but by my 6 year old as well. Pathetic. What did I do? The only thing I could do. Ordered take-out from the restaurant I was to dine in, took it home and watched a movie on the free showtime preview cable is offering this weekend. Not the night I had planned, but still enjoyable. Who would've thought that being stood up twice in one evening would still turn out to be nice.

Online Shopping.....

Jackson came running up the stairs jumping and speaking really fast.
Jack: I just ordered caprisuns on the computer!
Me: What?
Jack: I found caprisuns on the computer and I ordered them. They will be here soon.

15 minutes later Ethan came and told me that Jack was calling someone.
Me: Jack, who are you calling?
Jack: I'm calling Walmart because they aren't here yet with my order.
Me: Jack, Walmart doesn't deliver.
Jack: That is why I'm calling them. They need to bring them to our house.
Me: How about tomorrow we actually go to Walmart.
Jack: Will my order be ready when we get there? And then we just pay for it then?
Me: I'm sure it will be waiting on a shelf for you.

He's been bugging me all day long to get to Walmart before his order gets lost. The things I do for a child with imagination. I just hope he realizes I won't play along when he's 16 and the thing he "orders" on line is a vehicle.

The Pulley.....

Ethan is a really bright kid. It doesn't take much explaining for him to grasp a concept. He's really easy to teach things because of this. I do feel that he doesn't use his mind to it's full capacity sometimes because of TV or video games. (Probably my fault.) But, sometimes he comes home full of vigor and bright ideas. Especially this last week. One day I heard him saying he was going to make a pulley. I wasn't feeling too great that day, so I just let him go about his business. I heard the kitchen sink running for what seemed like eternity. Then he came to ask me if I could find the step ladder because he couldn't quite reach the top of the front door without it. After some investigation I discovered the pulley he was attempting to make involved a large bucket of water hanging by a rope connected to the front door. Whomever was the lucky one to open the door was doused with water. Needless to say his pulley system was aborted. Today he came home with another pulley idea. He assured me this one involved no water and nobody would get hurt in the process. I have to say I was impressed with what he came up with. Pretty genius if I do say so myself. He's convinced it's going to be very beneficial to his life. Not so sure about that, but it's fun to see his mind being used.

If you pull the two small handles the large handle raises the paper carrier. You can put stuff you don't want your brothers to reach on the paper carrier. Raise the small handles to lower the paper.

Another Year Passes.....

Shawn celebrated his birthday last week. The 27th to be exact. It wasn't too special of a day, being that he still had to work. But, he was able to be home by 2 so he could sneak in a coveted nap. I ordered Ruby Tuesday's for us for dinner (the kids got pizza), and we made him a cake. The number of candles required would have caused a fire, so I used only 3. Each candle represents 12 years. You do the math. Thank you Shawn for all you do for this family. You work so hard to provide for us. You do a great job. I know you often feel "stretched" because of all the things you feel responsible for, but I think you are awesome. I recognize that you are doing your best. The little things you do don't go unnoticed. We love you. Happy Birthday.

Chinese New Year......

Ethan is officially a cub scout. With scouting comes once a month pack meetings where the family is invited to participate in any awards given and usually a well thought out activity. In February we were able to attend the Blue & Gold banquet following the theme "Chinese New Year". The cub master is amazingly organized and detail oriented. Everyone brought a Chinese dish to share, and the scouts provided dessert, decorations, and chopsticks. My kids found the wooden sticks fascinating. Kennedy attempted to eat with them while Jackson used them as weapons.

After dinner we all helped clean up the tables and a large dragon head was brought into view. Someone had taken it upon themselves to paper mache a head and make a long tail using plastic and spray paint. Each child was given a long wooden stick to help hold up the tail. Chinese music playing in the background prompted the children to trail behind one another moving the dragon around the room. The kids were excited to be part of such a fun Chinese Tradition.

Shawn missed this one. He was on call. Due to the "full moon" effect he was at the hospital pretty late. Babies seem to come often when there is a full moon. Women giving birth often like epidurals. People also like to do crazy things that often end in some kind of problem only surgery can fix. I wish he could take the lunar cycle into consideration when he makes the call schedule. We miss him at activities like this. Especially since he is one of the den leaders.

Not Much In A Day......

A few weeks ago, and some days still, I make it a goal to accomplish at least one productive thing in a day. Sometimes I set my ambitions high, sometimes it's something as simple as "make dinner tonight". That's what the family gets when I'm trying to grow a human. It takes a lot out of me. Presidents Day turned out to be somewhat productive. Kennedy attended a soccer camp from 8-3. I was pleasantly surprised when she decided she wanted to attend. I think it was mainly due to her best friend showing interest, but whatever gets her moving.

The boys and I ate lunch at the Burger King play place and then headed home for a nap. Well, I took a nap. Not sure what the boys did, but all was well when I woke up. After we picked up Kennedy we decided to make cupcakes for a friends birthday. This is actually the first thing I'd made in over 3 weeks. Funny that it's cupcakes to get the mixer in motion. The kids were thrilled to have icing and batter in their vicinity.

The cupcakes just about wiped me out, but I somehow managed to turn this:

into this:

Unfortunately, the 1st picture represents more the norm around here. In fact, I have a similar pile on my bedroom floor as I type this. I'm considering banning all clothing from here on out. Laundry is ridiculous. I don't mind the actual process, it's the folding and putting away part I detest. What did I choose to accomplish today? I showered, got Jack to preschool, did laundry, vacuumed the basement, made dinner, and am about to go gather the little people for Family Home Evening. My well-being is obviously improving and I'm oh so glad. So is my family. Especially Shawn, I'm sure.